Fiber optic bundle lighting units providing focused illumination

Abstract

An efficient lighting unit with improvements in ease of moving its head, reliability and the like is provided. The lighting unit includes: heads 6 A and 6 B defining illuminating apertures 6 Aa and 6 Ba, respectively, for directing light to an object W to be illuminated, the heads 6 A and 6 B being supported by a movable support member 1; LED light source devices 5 A and 5 B mounted at the movable support member 1 for emitting light when supplied with electric power from an electric power source 3 disposed separately from the movable support member 1 through an electric cable 4; and flexible optical fibers 7 A and 7 B for guiding light from the LED light source devices 5 A and 5 B to the respective illuminating apertures 6 Aa and 6 Ba of the heads 6 A and 6 B.

1. A lighting unit comprising:
 a head, an LED light source, and a multiplicity of optical fibers; where 
 the multiplicity of optical fibers, the LED light source, and the head are all supported by a movable support member; 
 the head and LED light source are fixed in position relative to each other; 
 the head defines an illuminating aperture for directing light to an object to be illuminated; and 
 the multiplicity of flexible optical fibers guide light from the LED light source to the illuminating aperture of the head. 
 
     
     
       2. The lighting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the LED light source device is supplied with electric power from an electric power source disposed separately from the movable support member through an electric cable. 
     
     
       3. The lighting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the light source device is disposed adjacent the illuminating aperture. 
     
     
       4. The lighting unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber is fitted with a lens at a front end thereof on a head side. 
     
     
       5. A lighting unit comprising:
 a head unit; 
 an LED light source device external to the head unit; 
 a multiplicity of optical fibers extending from light-receiving ends thereof facing a light emitting surface of an LED light source device into the head unit; 
 a fiber cable in which optical fibers are bundled and accommodated; 
 an optical fiber aligning and holding member consisting of upper and lower pinch plates holding light-emitting ends of the respective optical fibers in direct contact with each other and aligned in a horizontal row by releasing the bundled state of front end portions of the multiplicity of optical fibers introduced into the head unit from a rear end thereof within the head unit and sequentially juxtaposing the front end portions with each other in a same plane; and 
 a pair of lenses fitted at a front end portion of the head unit, the pair of lenses consisting of a first lens for turning a band of light emitted from the horizontal row of the light-emitting ends of the optical fibers into substantially parallel rays of light and a second lens for causing light outgoing from the first lens to converge into line light consisting of an elongated band of light. 
 
     
     
       6. The lighting unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the optical fiber aligning and holding member is mounted at the head unit so as to be position-adjustable in fore-and-aft directions. 
     
     
       7. The lighting unit according to  claim 5 , further comprising an optical member for providing a uniform luminance distribution in a direction in which the line light extends, the optical member being disposed at the front end portion of the head unit so as to be associated with the pair of lenses. 
     
     
       8. The lighting unit according to  claim 5 , wherein the head unit has opposite inner wall surfaces formed with respective plane mirrors extending to cover from opposite ends of the horizontal row of the light-emitting ends of the multiplicity of optical fibers to opposite extremities of the pair of lenses. 
     
     
       9. A lighting unit comprising a plurality of lighting units as recited in  claim 5  with respective head units arranged in a row for forming a continuous line light illumination pattern having a length corresponding to a total width of the head units. 
     
     
       10. A lighting unit comprising:
 a head unit; 
 an LED light source device external to the head unit; 
 a multiplicity of optical fibers extending from light-receiving ends facing a light-emitting surface of the LED light source device into the head unit; 
 a fiber cable in which the optical fibers are bundled and accommodated; 
 an optical fiber aligning and holding member holding light-emitting ends of the respective optical fibers as aligned in a horizontal row by releasing the bundled state of front end portions of the multiplicity of optical fibers introduced into the head unit from a rear end thereof within the head unit and sequentially juxtaposing the front end portions with each other in a same plane, the optical fiber aligning and holding member being position-adjustable in fore-and-aft directions within the head unit; 
 converging and illuminating means provided at a front end portion of the head unit for causing a band of light emitted from the horizontal row of the light-emitting ends of the optical fibers to converge into a thinner band of light at a position forward of the head unit; 
 a lenticular screen for providing a uniform luminance distribution in a direction in which line light extends, the lenticular screen being disposed at the front end portion of the head unit so as to be associated with the converging and illuminating means; and 
 a pair of plane mirrors formed on opposite inner wall surfaces of the head unit so as to extend to cover from opposite ends of the horizontal row of the light-emitting ends of the multiplicity of optical fibers to opposite extremities of the converging and illuminating means. 
 
     
     
       11. A lighting unit comprising a fiber cable extending between a head unit and an LED light source external to the head unit, the cable having a multiplicity of optical fibers extending the length of the cable, the fibers having light-receiving ends facing a light-emitting surface of the LED light source and light-emitting ends extending into the head unit, wherein the head unit comprises:
 an optical fiber aligning and holding member that aligns the light-emitting ends of the optical fibers in a horizontal row by sequentially juxtaposing the light emitting portions with each other in a plane, and that is position-adjustable in fore-and-aft directions within the head unit; 
 converging and illuminating means provided at a front end portion of the head unit for causing a band of light emitted from the horizontal row of the light-emitting ends of the optical fibers to converge into a thinner band of light at a position forward of the head unit; 
 a lenticular screen for providing a uniform luminance distribution in a direction in which the thinner band of light extends, the lenticular screen being disposed at the front end portion of the head unit so as to be associated with the converging and illuminating means; and 
 a pair of plane mirrors formed on opposite inner wall surfaces of the head unit so as to extend to cover from opposite ends of the horizontal row of the light-emitting ends of the multiplicity of optical fibers to opposite extremities of the converging and illuminating means. 
 
     
     
       12. A lighting unit comprising:
 a movable support member; 
 a head defining an illuminating aperture for directing light to an object to be illuminated, the head being supported by the movable support member; 
 an LED light source device supported by the movable support member; and 
 a multiplicity of flexible optical fibers for guiding light from the LED light source device to the illuminating aperture of the head; wherein 
 movement of the movable support member causes movement of the head and LED light source device but does not cause a change in distance between the head and the LED light source device. 
 
     
     
       13. The lighting unit of  claim 12  further comprising a power cable providing power to the LED light source device wherein movement of the movable support member does not cause the multiplicity of flexible optical fibers to flex, but does cause the power cable to flex.